Just finished my last 2 exams! New format ain't that bad

I’ve been reading a lot of success stories the last couple days and wanted to add one of my own.

After a rough couple of years, I’ve finished all of the exams. With PPD and PDD left hanging over my head and a pre-whiteboard PPD fail, I studied, crammed, suffered, and sacrificed for approximately 4 months straight. I scheduled these back-to-back because I felt the content overlapped way too much to study independently for each. It was a risk I was willing to take if it meant I’d be done for good, like ripping a band-aid off quickly. And it paid off. I don’t know how, but I did it and it feels extraordinary. As you’d expect, the feeling of being done might compare to be released from prison after 30 years for a crime you didn’t commit?

The new test format is not that bad. For me, there’s probably more pros than cons. Having unlimited bathroom breaks is fantastic. Having 20 less questions gives you more time per question. I actually had been upset when the whiteboard was first introduced, but over time, the demo helped me become familiar and confident with it. I would do entire ballast tests using only the demo whiteboard and calculator. Funny thing is, I would now consider the whiteboard a pro rather than a con. With paper and pencil, I would resort to sketching things out that didn’t need to be sketched out. With tough questions, I’d catch myself staring at a blank piece of paper hoping the answers would appear. Eliminate that and I’m completing questions in half the time.

I couldn’t have done it without Amber Book. Michael Ermann makes you feel like you’re back in a classroom that you actually want to be in. He gives the content a quirkiness. I’m a visual learner, so content sticks more with videos, graphics, animations than with dense reading. In addition, I would take tons of notes on the videos because for me, the act of writing it down is way to “lock it in”. Other videos that were essential are from Marty Huie and Archicorner on youtube for codes. Ballast was useful for the practice questions and for a more in-depth look at content. Ching’s Building Construction Illustrated is the bible.

Days later, I’m still pinching myself thinking I’m being tormented by a nasty dream. It's not. All in all, I’m glad it’s over but grateful for NCARB and the exams. I’ve learned heaps in the last couple years that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise.

Hang in there everyone!